Muscle Memory Minders
Last week in the beginners’ swing class we went over some of the most important things we think help your lead/follow, technique, and all-around skillz, plus said a few things specifically for the follows. These are things just to keep in the back of your head and sometimes think about consciously, until you can really get it into your muscle memory and do them naturally. Here is the list in full:
Muscle-Memory Minders:
- Footpatterns — you won’t have time to be distracted by trying to make your feet do the right thing.
- Frame fundamentals — keep your arm in front of you with a slight bend (i.e. do not let your elbows push back behind you nor let your arms outstretch).
- Follows, let your Energy Flow — that is the life blood of this dance!
- Create and Respond to changes in Energy with Counterbalance (not muscle).
- Lead with your hips as you move… letting your shoulders ride above them, moving as one piece — If we are moving “away” then with our counterbalance we would ease into a “sit” (keeping shoulders above the hips, not leading/preceding the hips) as energy is arrested.
- Follows, Return (compression, tension, counterbalance from the Lead) In Kind.
- And it’s corollary, to Respond to Energy from the Lead, not just to the tension or compression inherent in your position (i.e. don’t bounce).
Follows’ Skills & Secrets:
- RELAXING does Wonders! — If you MUST think while dancing, try to focus on your own technique (e.g. sit back in his arm, frame, flow, etc.), not anticipating his leads or moves.
- Be on top of your foot wherever you step to — try to step and move all your weight to that foot as you follow the guy’s lead. There will be a temptation to transfer your weight to the trailing foot as it comes up; but be patient, leave your weight on the foot you were led to and leave your trailing foot free as the dance continues. This means that you’ll always be on one foot with the other free, never resting on both feet with your balance split (unless your lead actually takes you there).
- Keep your shoulders back (as opposed to letting them slump forward) — doing this helps with connection, frame, and grace.
- Always look at (or at least, be able to look at) your hand when you’re being led in a turn.
- Do not release the connection with your partner. You certainly don’t want to grasp but neither do you ever want to pull your hand away.
- We start by asking you to follow a little “heavy” to be sure you don’t anticipate and that you’re letting your leads move you — but as you get more comfortable you’ll find that you can still be patient in your follow and you’ll never-the-less be able to respond and follow much more lightly.
- There are lots of places where the Follow can play in Swing. Let’s look at where/when you can find those opportunities.